Planning out a new garden path? For the gardener who enjoys a little greenery around their paving stones here are four great low growing perennials you can easily purchase as young plants or ”start” as seeds on your own.

Ajuga Irish Moss

Creeping Jenny Lemon Thyme

Ajuga is a very hardy perennial, with multicolored foliage (check out your local selection of cultivars), that is great for growing between bricks, pavers, or rough stone paths. Many varieties are evergreen, and others are semi-evergreen, doing well in both deeply shady and sunny locations. It spreads quickly and easily through runners, and when left unchecked can become invasive. Care may need to be taken to keep the plant in the designated spot you choose for it. This is a plant you can feel no guilt in walking over, and is a great plant for areas that see a lot of children’s activities. Prune this Ajuga back every year by mowing over it, and thin it out every couple years to prevent rot in it’s dense vegetation.

Irish Moss is a charming classic that isn’t actually a moss. It sends up a tiny carpet of white blooms each summer, which moss never does, and once it is established in good soil, can be easily trimmed back and spread though cuttings. This is not a plant that will take over your pathway easily, and will actually need to be planted in every place you desire it to be. When healthy this plant tends to mound in place, but minimal skill is needed to trim off and place excess growth into new areas. If you keep cuttings planted in good soil, and keep them moist they will establish themselves rapidly, and fill in your pathway beautifully.

Creeping Jenny is a perennial in all but the coldest climates. Aside from having unique evergreen foliage, it also sends up yellow blooms in the summer. This container garden favorite can be found in most garden centers, and will spread quickly in soil that is kept moist. In dry climates this plant needs to be kept moist daily, and cannot tolerate dry roots in hot weather. Without care this plant can become invasive, but with trimming it will remain in place. While Creeping Jenny is an excellent choice to plant in problem areas in your garden that may have moisture issues, or some standing water, it is less foot traffic friendly, and for that reason I don’t recommend it on pathways for families that have small children. Constant walk-overs, or toy trucks driving though it will be hard for the plant to overcome, and it may never fill in your pathway in the manner you would like.

Lemon Thyme may be a plant you will have to start from seed, since it is relatively harder to find, but the crop will be well worth your time. This is another hardy plant that can tolerate rough and tumble pathways, and it kicks up a sweet lemon citrus fragrance every time you walk by and brush it. It can also work double duty as a path accent and a cooking additive. Cooks often use it in chicken or fish recipes, and it also works as a substitute in baking for Lemon or citrus zest!

Try any of these plants in your garden during the summer months, or order them as seeds mid-winter to place them in the ground this spring, and really get a jump on your garden projects!

Cultivating water gardens can seem more difficult than it is. The perfect plants to start your water garden may be no further away than a trip to your local big box store. Before you put too much thought into purchasing rare plants for your pond, take a look at these garden center classics that will thrive in your pond, and make you look like a water gardening genius when you combine them!

Common Garden Center Plants That Love Water Gardens:

Canna Lily Creeping Jenny Hibiscus

Elephant Ears Iris Zebra Grass

All of these plants are perennial when cared for properly, and while the Elephant Ears must be moved indoors in cold winter climates along with the rhizome root system of the Canna lily to preserve them for the next year, they are all easily cared for. Plant these plants in containers that you place in your garden to ensure that the root systems of the hardier plants (like the Iris and Zebra Grass) don’t latch onto the pebble bottom of your pond.